Fire Ravages Chamonix’s Grands Montets Cable Car

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Earlier on Tuesday, the lift station of Chamonix’s famous Grands Montets cable car caught fire according to local news sources. Images show clouds of smoke billowing from atop the mountain, with helicopters dropping water in an attempt to put out the fire and a team of firefighters on the mountain. Luckily, nobody was injured in the blaze, but over 5000 square feet of the building, including lift machinery and the restaurant were burned. The lift cable melted, severely damaging the gondola cabins.

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This is the second lift-related incident in the Chamonix valley this year, after the Aiguille du Midi cable car was forced to shut down in July when a defect was found in the cable. This came much to the chagrin of local skiers and climbers, who routinely use the cable car for quick access to big mountain lines high in the alpine.

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More video of today’s Grand Montets fire:

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